


Puppy Love/Hate

by foxymandy3100



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Bullying, Child AU, Drabble, Elementary School AU, M/M, Minor Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Mutual Pining, Pining Jonathan Sims, Pining Martin Blackwood, emotionally constipated jon, feral baby bites bullies, kids being kids, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:13:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26426188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxymandy3100/pseuds/foxymandy3100
Summary: Martin transfers into Jon's school in first grade and Jon immediately doesn't like the new boy. He doesn't like how he makes him feel things he doesn't understand.Au where the boys are kids and work through issues to understand they like each other. most Jon-centric.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 17
Kudos: 78





	Puppy Love/Hate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [celosiaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celosiaa/gifts).



> This is a drabble based off a headcanon I have that S1 Jon liking Martin is the equivalent of a kid shoving you down on the playground because they like you but beating up your bullies because they get to bully you.

Jon doesn’t like the new boy, Martin. Whenever he’s around Jon feel s nauseous like there’s something in his belly fluttering around and his chest is hot like he’s ill. He decides the first time that Ma rtin smiles at him, that he hates him. 

It’s not too surprising to Jon that when Martin approaches him, his first day, at recess to ask Jon to play that Jon pushes him. The boy is big and solid but clumsy so it’s easy to make him trip over his own feet and hit the ground. Martin walks away with a sad smile and a scraped-up elbow and Jon wonders why he feels bad about it when it's so clear he hates him. 

First grade is confusing, and Jon knows with vivid clarity that every day he grows to hate Martin a little more. It must be hat r e d , Jon think s , because when Martin, who sits beside him, aske d to borrow a pencil Jon’s face flushed a brilliant red and grew hot like he was angry. He threw the  pencil at Martin instead. The boy had thanked  him, but he had gotten in trouble for throwing things in class. His grandmother had punished him with the kitchen  spoon, and it was all Martin’s fault.  He hated him so very much that his every waking thought seemed to be consumed by him.  Jon swears that Martin is now his mortal enemy. 

Second grade is easier. Martin sits across the room from him now, so they do not talk nearly as much but he catches the other boy watching from time to time. Whenever Martin is caught staring his face will light up red and Jon bristles with barely hidden glee. Mar tin must hate him as well, good, they will be each other’s  nemesis . Jon feels a little like a superhero with his counterpart finally accepting his feeling s of pure loathing. 

Third grade changes things a bit. Martin doesn’t come to school as much anymore and when he  does, he always  looks drained . He falls asleep at his desk often during class and the teachers keep holding him after class to “talk to him”. Jon is  disappointed that Martin is n’t giving their shared hatred the time it deserves.  He wants the other boy’s  attention, and it drives him mad that each time he tries to get it the other seems too tired to really put in any effort. Jon pushed him down on the playground again but this time there is no fuss, no half-smile, no reaction at all. Martin simply gets up and walk s away to go play somewhere else. Jon doesn’t understand why he’s being ignored. He vows he will get a reaction from Martin in the future. 

Fourth-grade things begin to make sense. Any friends Martin had had before are long gone. The boy is almost always  alone, and he keeps his head down, on his work. He doesn’t meet Jon’s eyes anymore and Jon doesn’t understand why he had changed so much.  He understands the first time he misses the bus and  has to walk home from school instead. He slips around to the back of the school and spots some of the fifth graders knocking the books from Martin’s hand. They call him a “bastard” and t aunt him about his father leaving him. Jon watches tears well up in Martin’s eyes as the other boys laugh about his sorrows and Jon feels something hot and violent coil in his stomach. 

He doesn’t think about it before he throws his heaviest book at the head of the closest boy. 

“Leave him alone!” He shouts, seething in pure rage. The boy grips his head and shouts at Jon for being stupid.  Jon rushes at them, knocking one over. He manages to bite his arm before Martin pulls him off and takes his hand. Before Jon knows  it, he’s running, being led by his hand away from the shou t ing bullies who chase them. The y bolt  into the school building, running toward the front wing. They hide together under the stairs as the older boys look around for them. 

Martin holds Jon’s hand tightly in his and rubs at his eyes where the tears keep running. He hides small sniffles in his arms in hopes of keeping them from being discovered.  Jon doesn’t know how long they hide there, side pressed to side in that small alcove under the  stairs, but he knows his heart never stops racing. 

The next day Jon trades desks with another student to sit beside Martin so they can share his book since Martin dropped his outside the school yesterday when the bullies were  heckling him. The teacher calls Jon down for being in the wrong spot and he explains that he’s sharing his book with Martin since he can’t find his. The teacher excuses it, stating it’s good to see Martin interacting with another child. The smile Martin gives him could’ve lit up the room and Jon is n’t so certain he hates him anymore. 

Jon expected the bullies to come back for Martin again, and he fully expected to have to fight to protect his new friend, what he didn’t expect was to see Martin’s behavior change the moment Jon was involved. 

The bully who had been bitten a couple of days prior saw Jon and went directly for him. While Jon was already ready and willing to square up to the bigger boy he was stopped when the other boy cried out. Martin had pulled his wrist behind his back and glared at the boy moving toward Jon. 

“Leave. Him. Alone.” 

Martin demanded. Jon had never seen Martin standing at full height  before, but he was just as big as the other boys, and clearly just as strong too. He pushe s the one he was holding to the ground and the boy fle es in tears, holding his wrist. Martin then approache s the other. 

“if you touch  Jon, I will make sure you regret it” 

He growls out. Jon would be horrified if he weren’t so impressed. He had seen Martin as this helpless little sheep who needed  protection, but he never imagined the other could stand up for himself. His intimidation tactic  work s and the remaining Bully le aves them alone. As soon as they were gone M artin let s out a sigh and slum ps like a balloon that had released all its air all at once. 

Jon was amazed. Before  he could react, Martin rushe s over and thr ows his arms around Jon, hugging him tightly. 

“That was incredible, Jon! You were so brave!” 

Jon could not seem to  function; all higher brain power went directly out the door the moment Martin was pressed to him. He could feel his heart pounding and racing in his chest almost painfully hard and how hot his cheeks burned . He didn’t think before he shove s Martin away, directly onto his rump on the dirt. Martin look s up at him with confused honey brown eyes and Jon fe els his face flush a deep crimson. 

“D-don’t touch me without asking first” 

He grumble s as an excuse. Martin smile s brightly and pick s himself up with a nod. 

“okay, Jon~” 

Fifth grade in enlightening. Jon spends the class library time on a computer, researching the odd feelings he’s been having around martin. He finds several articles that say he’s having something called a “heart attack” and several more that says he’s in love. He believes the heart attack is more accurate and goes to see the nurse. 

He expresses his issues to her and how long this has been going on. With a smile, the nurse writes him a prescription on her notepad to spent plenty of time with Martin and hands him a  lolly . He puts the note in his pocket , to show any questioning teachers , and heads to recess.

Jon thinks to himself that he doesn’t really hate Martin anymore, but he doesn’t love him either. He decides that maybe there is an in-between that feels just as passionate as love or hate and that is how he feels for Martin. All he knows for certain is that no one is going to hurt his friend again, not while he’s around. Jon can only hope that He and Martin will still be together in sixth grade and every grade after that. 

**Author's Note:**

> comments fuel the author!~<3 thanks for reading


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